Antietam Seminar

3052007

Tomorrow I’m going to meet with Ted Alexander at Antietam National Battlefield Park.Ted is the Chief Historian at the park, and has been kind enough to offer me some assistance in pulling info on the 16th CT.I found some stuff today at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (still referred to by some as USAMHI) at Carlisle, with help from Art Bergeron and the fine staff there (I’m sorry but I didn’t get everyone’s name – some journalist I am).I also found a letter written by a soldier in my great-grandfather’s Company C of the 205th PA, and will post on that later.It perhaps explains what many folks consider to be one of my character flaws.

Ted has informed me that he has put together a really fine Antietam seminar for Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours.You can find out more here. Over to the left is the cover of their pamplet; click on the thumbnail for a larger image. This looks like a real kick-butt program, featuring about 40 speakers/tour leaders over five days.I know a few of these guys, some better than others, and some only by reputation, but they’re all top-notch.Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it – I know that won’t affect anyone’s decision to go.

I highly recommend seminars.For eight consecutive years I attended the Civil War Conference conducted by Penn State at its Gettysburg vicinity Mont Alto campus (see this post).While the tours and the lectures were all great, the most valuable part of the experience for me was the access to the faculty. These types of multi-day seminars are around-the-clock learning experiences. The faculty is usually trapped; they can run, but they can’t hide. And if they try, you can usually lure them out with a nice (or not-so-nice) bottle of scotch! If Ted’s program offers anywhere near the access I enjoyed at Mont Alto, you can’t go wrong by attending.I’ll try and get some more details tomorrow.

Dulce bellum inexpertis

“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”

About

Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.

The Project

This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!